The present invention relates to a controller for a machine tool or a production machine, and more particularly to an interface for the controller.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Controllers for machine tools or production machines typically include system software performing the control functions. The system software is often supplied by the manufacturer as a single design type and is typically reconfigured, rather than modified, to produce different variations that have better performance and require less maintenance. User-specific functions or other special functions that run efficiently on standard system software can be imported into modern software systems by having the manufacturer implement an open system in the system's real-time area. The functionality of the software can be substantially enhanced independent of the development cycle of the system software through additional so-called application software, subsequently referred to as basic application software. The basic application software can access data and functions of the system software through an open software interface.
Various groups of users take advantage of the possibility to integrate basic application software with existing system software through a general and typically high-capacity software interface, for example:    a) the manufacturer of the controller can develop custom-designed functionality,    b) the manufacturer of the machine can introduce proprietary know-how by developing technologically advanced and/or machine-specific features, which would distinguish the manufacturer from competitors in spite of the use of “standard software,” thereby obtaining a market lead,    c) solution providers can introduce proprietary know-how in the controller in form of special functions by offering the end-customer additional support and services that the manufacturer of the controller cannot or will not offer,    d) academic and other institutions intending to develop solutions in form of prototypes based on an industrial standard system.
To satisfy the aforementioned groups of users, the system software offers the possibility to integrate additional basic application software via a general open software interface, generally referred to as an open system.
However, using a general open software interface, through which the basic application software can access files and functions of the system software, is rather complex and may involve expensive training before this software interface can be successfully employed. In addition, machine builders, solution providers, universities and institutions may also lack the detailed knowledge of the system software of the machine controller, which thus may increase the likelihood of software errors.
Other problem may arise because of the difficulty to precisely define the responsibility for the system software whose functionality has been extended via a general software interface. It is therefore initially difficult to estimate to what extent the introduced basic application software uses methods and functions that significantly change the functional characteristic of the basic system and/or the execution of the software.
Consequently, only customers of controllers with considerable experience have so far used industrial products that allow introduction of basic application software, because only those customers are capable of appropriately handling documentation, startup and service of the extended products for, for example, an end user.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide to an improved process for extending the system software of a controller, in particular a controller for a machine tool or production machine, which obviates prior art shortcomings and is able to specifically bind application software to the system software of the controller without significant know-how of the system software of the controller.